「A Suspended Sentence」
Across dozens of castle walls, a building was constructed on top of a hill so high that an unbroken view of the entire royal capital can be seen from it. This is the palace where the most powerful people in the country live.
Our party of heroes all dressed up in uniform and visited the royal palace. Our goal was to report to the king about the latest expedition mission.
...no matter how you look at it, the mission was a failure. My feet are killing me.
"Welcome, please enter the audience chamber. His highness awaits."
In front of the remarkably large door stood a smiling maid dressed in black, her short, silver hair swung as she quickly lowered her head. She slowly opened the door, her head still lowered in reverence.
The maid's name is Quriha. The king's maid has a constant overflowing look of confidence, and long eyelashes with cool cat eyes. I am truly grateful for her always calm demeanor, and how she properly backs us up at the royal palace.
Quriha is an exclusive and wonderful maid at the palace, who, like this time, acts as an intermediate for the king, and is in charge of directing the personal care of the royal family. She also takes charge of our estate's management.
Also, it seems that she's into older guys.
The cool beauty atmosphere that Quriha gives off is quite to my liking. Once when it was just the two of us, I got really drunk at a party and invited her to my bed.
On the contrary as a result, I had to remind her that there was nothing going on between me and Vardy. In other words, when I say she has an interest in older men I'm actually mean she has an interest in Vardy.
...Vardy is her type. As expected, that's pretty off putting. The lusty idiot who weighs a girl's attractiveness on the size of her chest.
By the way, Quriha's chest armor is unfortunately disappointing. Even if she continues to grow from here on, it's likely that she will never enter into Vardy's range.
That's right, ever since that night when Quriha and I drank and opened up to each other about what's been on our minds, I've tried being more tender and gentler with her.
She's truly an unfortunate girl.
By the way, I wonder why Quriha is glancing bank and forth at Alto and I today. I wonder if I should ask her about it.
Now then, several hours after we made an appointment with Quriha.
Our audience with the king began with no problems in particular. Alto reported on the mission's progress with an imposing air amongst the large number of nobles who were lined up in a row. After he finished listening, without a twitch of change in his face, the king simply stated "Thank you for your hard service". It almost always ends up feeling like this.
"You did a good job shamelessly running away and coming back here!"
"Even if you are heroes, pitifully running away in defeat, absolutely ridiculous."
...and so forth. Strangely enough there were no nobles who added any annoying complaints of their own. No, there were some who looked like they had something on their mind that they wanted to say, but no one badly stood out and said anything.
Well, to be blunt, we are the king's favorites. We were beaten this time, but there were several battles in our endeavors that we did win. Our military prowess should be quite trusted. As such it stands to reason that this time everything should wrap up without much call for the need to take responsibility.
Even if I am being a little bit selfish, up to now the king has forgiven us. I don't think that he would allow me to have some fun with the royal palace maids though.
...well, there are a lot of nobles who feel quite annoyed when we get our own way, so we are careful to not get too carried away. Anybody would get angry if some youngsters just showed up and acted all high and mighty.
Klang.
A sentry holding a spear next to the king hit the ground and made a metallic sound reverberate. This is a sign that, silence for the king shall now speak!
"...Alto, no, my band of heroes. Although this is sudden and even though you have just returned I must give you a new mission."
The king informed us with his usual expressionless face.
"I will inform you about your new mission another day. For now you are to retire for the night. Rest and restore your energy for the upcoming mission."
"Understood"
The king sounds like he's saying something important and profound, but these are the lines that he always says.
As expected, after our party of heroes have returned to the kingdom we have to eat and sleep well every single day. We're forced to do random chores in the form of the king's orders.
To put it briefly, the chores cover a wide range of tasks including directing the troops' training, and running errands in the king's territories. In exchange we receive rewards that are separate from our wages, so we can't cut corners.
In a word, what he wants to say is, if you come back I want you to start working again.
"Haa, my shoulders are so stiff. Good work today Alto."
After leaving the audience chamber, I clapped Alto's shoulder. I always have trouble breathing in that place. That sort of political and constrained world just doesn't agree with me.
"We were blamed less than I thought we would be."
"Yeah, but on the other hand if we were horribly questioned and boastfully hounded about the one time we failed then I would have sent him flying."
"Vardy, that would be treason..."
Quriha didn't seem to particularly care about Vardy's turbulent statement, and we were led by her back to the front gates of the palace. Finally the weight on my shoulders was relieved, it's been a while, I wonder if I should invite Vardy and the others out for a drink. It's been a long time since I've wanted to enjoy the strained atmosphere of the scramble for the seat next to Alto.
"Everyone, this concludes this expedition's mission. My abilities weren't up to the task, and so I apologize for the disappointing result."
As we were sent off by Quriha who, for some reason, had a strange lukewarm look in her eyes, the front gates slowly closed, and everyone was left standing there.
Usually this is where Alto gets strict. After battles and missions, it has become custom for him to say a recap. He really is serious when it comes to this sort of thing.
"There weren't any defects in anybody's actions this time. If I had quickly brought down the demon lord's army's leader who gave us a surprise attack then the mission would have finished there. Facing a powerful ork head on in a contest of strength was my blunder. I should have made use of his weaknesses."
"It's not your fault Alto. Better yet, I think that it would be better to think that because you fought and struggled that the worst possible outcome was avoided. In the first place, suddenly thinking about the enemy's weaknesses in that situation is utterly impossible. Fio or Ray are the ones who always come up with clever plans on the battlefield. To begin with, detecting surprise attacks is my field of work. Everyone... I'm sorry I couldn't sense the attack."
The two high ranking members of the party lowered their heads, and the air became a little darker. These two, they comparatively do seriously feel responsible. What idiots, even though I was the person who dragged their feet the most in the mission I don't feel a particle of responsibility. Because when it comes to battles, it depends on the luck at the time. There are also times when you're just going to lose.
"Stop apologizing you two. It was nobody's fault this time."
Just as everyone was about to fall to the dark atmosphere, the person who quickly forced their comment in was none other than the master of reading the air himself, Vardy. If he also had the ability to read a woman's heart he would unmatched.
"Is anything going to change if someone apologizes? I'll put it plainly, the reason for our defeat was because our cooperation was that bad. If one person goes to cover Fio, then somebody instantly fills the hole they left. If we did that then none of this would have happened right? Am I wrong?"
It's quite rare to see him speak with such a serious expression. Everyone seemed to be aware of it too, their expressions became a little bit stiffer. At this rate I'll be the only one left fluttering about. Alright, I'll try making a serious face too.
Kiri.
"Rather than individual skills like if Alto was stronger, or if we were able to detect the surprise attack, we should first understand how to work together as a team. That's the lesson we can learn. There's no point in apologizing and letting it end there. We have to properly make the best use of what we have for the next fight."
"Whoa, in spite of yourself you've really gone and said something correctly, Vardy."
"Don't poke fun at me, Fio. You... when you were thrown by the ork you were essentially dead. It's thanks to Alto's strength which happened to be sticking out at the time that you're standing here right now. You got that?"
"Ye, yeah."
What. Vardy is unusually serious.
"In other words, from here on, as the party's daily routine, I want to add in a set time for cooperation lessons. Does anybody have any objections?"
I agree, Vardy. It's unusual coming from you but I think it's a wonderful idea."
"Yeah. I also have no objections."
With the two top members nodding in agreement, Vardy's proposal was decided. Well, to be frank that was the reason why, the reason why we lost. In particular, the lack of cooperation between the four girls in the harem was fatal.
"Alright, it's decided. I also have another proposal. If there is one individual who has the responsibility of our defeat, then it would be you Alto, you and your indecisiveness."
"In, indecisiveness? I think Sir Alto acted quickly in making swift decisions."
"Alto... isn't to blame. Don't say whatever comes to mind you clumsy oaf..."
Because Vardy suddenly started blaming Alto, the four girls started talking back to him. But it was as Yuri said, when we were fighting Alto gave off the impression that he was acting without hesitation.
"No, let's hear him out. I wonder how my decisions in that situation were a problem. Tell me, Vardy."
"You've got it wrong, I don't mean it in that way. I mean... I'm talking about your indecisiveness when it comes to your relationship with the girls. I don't know if you're just unaware of it or whatever, but there are parts of us that don't work together because of it, right? Hurry up and decide your lover already you womanizer."
"My relationship with the girls? Vardy, surely you jest. What does that have to do with the situation at hand?"
"It has a lot to do with it you damn thick headed bastard. Listen, you have until next month to decide your favorite girl. And then you will confess to her."
... Just what is this idiot saying?
"Wait, Vardy. I really don't understand. What are you suddenly telling me to do?"
"I'm telling you to choose your lover. If you enter into a romantic relationship with someone, then at the very least our cooperation should become easier than it has been."
"Vardy, just what audacious thing have you.... Won't that just create agitation? Wouldn't it be better to just watch and see what happens, but, yes. Now that you've said it you might have a point there."
"And you four, I'll say it to you too but the three of you who get rejected have to sternly give up on him. Fio, Fio almost died because of such a stupid thing. Up to now I've just stayed out of other's love affairs, but as I expected I can't keep quiet anymore."
"...yeah, you're right. And how should I say it, Vardy, you're honestly quite upset about what happened, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
Listening to Vardy's serious face as he passionately spoke, by accident, Alto's eyes met with my own. It seemed like he wanted to ask me something.
I immediately, with all my strength, shook my head.
"...Ahh. I don't really understand the situation, but I do understand that it is something that needs to be done. Let's shake on it."
"I'm counting on you, Alto. Phew, that will finally make it easier for the party to spend time with each other."
With Alto declaring that, the air of the harem's vigor and energy changed. I felt an incredible spirit and drive that could shake mountains and cover the world from the four girls. If in this kind of situation there was a day in which he declared "Unfortunately, the truth is we are actually going out!" then the world would instantly be destroyed.
...Vardy. Does this guy really want to kill me that badly? Why didn't he do this secretly? It's fine right? Fine if we just do the cooperation lessons.
I don't want to die over this, this stupid affair. Somehow or another, I have to think of some way to survive this whole thing.
A death sentence with a suspended sentence (of one month) attached. From here I have to do something to win my innocence.
The curtain has now opened on my battle with a formidable enemy more terrifying than the demon lord himself.